Join Internships
SculptureCenter accepts internship applications throughout the year. Working with a small staff in an open office environment, you will gain valuable insight and hands on experience working for a non-profit art museum. Interns take on projects that have a direct and visible outcome in our exhibitions, public programs, and events. You will come away with professional skills that will help you navigate the art world. Interns work with exhibiting artists, assist with events, and enjoy free admission after their internship. Internships are unpaid but school credit may be earned. We regularly host international interns with strong language skills. Scheduling is flexible with an expected commitment minimum of two days per week. We want to work with you and your schedule to build the right internship. Typical duration of an internship is 3 months and operates on a semester basis.
SculptureCenter is currently accepting Summer 2013 Internship applications for the following positions:
Development Intern
Working as a key member in a small staff, this intern will report to the Development Director. This internship will give the professionally-oriented candidate the chance to see the world of non-profit arts fundraising in New York. Interns will be responsible for grant research and drafting applications and reports. Additionally, interns will assist with a variety of other fundraising initiatives, as well as the planning and execution of our two annual fundraising events: a spring art raffle and our fall gala.
Curatorial Internship
Works directly with the Curator and Assistant Curator to help organize exhibitions and public programming. Primary responsibilities will be assisting with research and planning for SculptureCenter's open call for proposals, In Practice. In addition, the Curatorial Intern will assist with coordination and installation for SculptureCenter's summer exhibition, Better Homes and public program development for upcoming fall exhibitions. Other daily duties may include assisting with events, contributing to online content and exhibition texts, providing administrative assistance, and artist and gallery correspondence.
Operations Internship
Assists the Operations Manager in fielding artist submissions, maintaining physical and digital archives, producing web content, providing day-to-day support for the museum staff, coordinating special events, and editing video. Candidates must be willing to learn new skills quickly and do not need prior museum or gallery experience but should have strong administrative and organizational skills. Working knowledge of Final Cut and experience operating a DV camera preferred.
Visitor Services and Special Events Internship
Works directly with the Visitor Services and Membership Manager at the museum front desk as well as the Associate Director for special events. The VSSE intern will help produce special events including the annual LIC Block Party as well as a series of evening and weekend public programming. Visitor services responsibilities also include receiving visitors, tracking attendance, conducting sales transactions, assisting with group visits and overseeing the gallery. Other duties include assisting with the front-of-house maintenance, constituent research, and project planning. Must have strong interpersonal skills both over the phone and in person as well as some installation experience preferred.
How to Apply
To apply for a SculptureCenter Internship please send a resume, cover letter specifying your two preferred areas of interest, and two professional references to jobs@sculpture-center.org.
Intern Testimonials
Marie Heilich, MA Candidate, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Curatorial Intern Fall 2012
"My overall experience as a Curatorial Intern at SculptureCenter has been incredibly positive. Working closely with the Curatorial staff on A Disagreeable Object in the research, writing, production, and organization processes provided me with a complete experience of all that goes into curating a large group exhibition. I have enjoyed not only working closely with the various members of SculptureCenter's staff, but also getting to know the artists and audience the institution is engaged with. I leave the internship feeling invested in the institution and proud to have worked in a place that promotes emerging artists and experimental forms."
Katherine Lee, Brown University, Studio Art Major, VSSE Intern Summer 2012
"The thing about interning at SculptureCenter is that it's a prime example of a positive feedback loop. I
applied to the internship because I appreciated SculptureCenter's mission and philosophy on a theoretic
level. But what happened is that I encountered a group of people who were really excited about what the
institution was doing and were willing to take the effort to bring me into the experience, and suddenly,
I was invested. I got excited about what was happening. And the staff matched my hard work with more
learning opportunities so that I had more chances to pitch in and on and on it went. I got to see how my
assigned projects fit into a bigger picture and how that bigger picture translates into some very stimulating
conversation about the art world. Even now, internship over, I'm interested in the work SculptureCenter will
champion, the fresh talk it'll generate, and am truly appreciative of the chance I had to be a part of it."
Gabriel Burkett, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Operations Intern, Summer 2011
"SculptureCenter is unusually committed to its interns - I found my experience as Operations Intern to be rewarding in various ways, both personally and professionally. My time and my work were valued, and I was appreciated for my point-of-view as an architecture student. Processing applications for the In Practice Open Call allowed me to develop a sense of my interests as they relate to sculpture, and to think critically about the work of new artists. Aside from learning basic skills associated with the day-to-day operation of a small contemporary arts non-profit, I was also introduced to the social component of art-world success. Because as an intern I was included socially, my relationship with SculptureCenter is ongoing and has provided an avenue for continued involvement with contemporary art in New York."
Misa Jeffereis, Hunter College Art History Master's, Curatorial Intern, Winter 2011
"As a Master's student and new resident of New York, I wanted to take advantage of the numerous internships that the city has to offer. My best experience was by far at SculptureCenter working the Curatorial Department. I was given a lot of responsibility right off the bat, from compiling checklists to drafting loan letters and securing reproduction rights for images. Since SculptureCenter has a small staff, I knew that my contributions were making an impact, and that was really important to me. By the end I had written seven posts for the Curator's Notebook blog and helped launch SC's Tumblr site. I would recommend the internship to anyone who enjoys plenty of responsibility and some play time too."
Nina Schwarz, Parsons Integrated Design Curriculum Major, Curatorial Intern, Spring 2010
"My experience at SculptureCenter was more than what the prevalent ideas about the duties and responsibilities of a curatorial intern would suggest. Learning how to compile an artist biography, doing research, email communication and organizing the shipment of the exhibition, is as important as being proactive in art conversation, lending your opinion, or just having a good chat about things that are far from art related. Even though at times the pressure was high, I was always willing to give everything, as I was always treated with respect and patience. A SculptureCenter intern learns more than hands-on know-how or intellectual exchange. Learning here is an education about the drive and the passion that can make working in the arts one of the best jobs in the world."